Total pelvic exenteration for recurrent uterine malignancies – a case series

Abstract

Pelvic exenteration has been proposed in order to treat locally advanced or relapsed pelvic malignancies with different origins such as digestive, urological or gynecological cancers. However it seems that cases diagnosed with relapsed uterine malignancies are rarely candidates for extended pelvic resections, most cases presenting disseminated lesions at the time of relapse. The aim of the current paper is to report a case series of five patients diagnosed with pelvic recurrences after surgically treated uterine cancer who were submitted to extended pelvic resections with curative intent between August and December 2021. The histopathological studies demonstrated the presence of negative resection margins in two cases. The postoperative outcome was favorable in three cases, one case necessitated prolonged intensive care stay while the last one necessitated reoperation due to the presence of a pelvic abscess. However all patients were discharged within the first three weeks postoperatively. In conclusion, pelvic exenteration can be successfully performed in selected cases diagnosed with pelvic recurrences after surgically treated uterine cancer.